Related papers: Mach's Principle selects 4 space-time dimensions
Spacetime geometry is described by two -- {\em a priori} independent -- geometric structures: the symmetric connection $\Gamma$ and the metric tensor $g$. Metricity condition of $\Gamma$ (i.e. $\nabla g = 0$) is implied by the Palatini…
In four-dimensional general relativity the spacetime outside of an isolated spherical star is described by a unique line element, which is the Schwarzschild metric. As a consequence, the "gravitational" mass and the "inertial" mass of a…
We show that various dynamical gauge theories in two, three and four dimensions, obtained as Manin deformations of topological Alexandrov-Kontsevich-Schwarz-Zaboronsky (AKSZ) theories, are equivalent to gravitational theories. Since gravity…
We show that a critical condition exists in four dimensional scale invariant gravity given by the pure quadratic action $\beta \,C_{\mu\nu\sigma\rho} C^{\mu\nu\sigma \rho} + \alpha \,R^2$ where $C^{\mu}_{\,\,\nu \sigma \rho}$ is the Weyl…
We study nonlinear gravitational perturbations of vacuum Einstein equations, with $\Lambda<0$ in $(n+2)$ dimensions, with $n>2$, generalizing previous studies for $n=2$. We follow the formalism by Ishibashi, Kodama and Seto to decompose the…
Scalar curvature invariants are studied in type N solutions of vacuum Einstein's equations with in general non-vanishing cosmological constant Lambda. Zero-order invariants which include only the metric and Weyl (Riemann) tensor either…
The equivalence between Chern-Simons and Einstein-Hilbert actions in three dimensions established by A.~Ach\'ucarro and P.~K.~Townsend (1986) and E.~Witten (1988) is generalized to the off-shell case. The technique is also generalized to…
Mach's Principle is usually taken to mean that the mass of a particle as measured locally is determined in some way by the other matter in the universe. This is difficult to formalize in 4D,but is feasible in 5D if the scalar potential of…
We investigate spontaneous symmetry breaking in a conformally invariant gravitational model. In particular, we use a conformally invariant scalar tensor theory as the vacuum sector of a gravitational model to examine the idea that…
We consider Einstein-Horndeski gravity with a negative bare constant as a holographic model to investigate whether a scale invariant quantum field theory can exist without the full conformal invariance. Einstein-Horndeski gravity can admit…
The dark matter and dark energy problem, that is now dominating the research in cosmology, makes the question of the origin of mass-energy content of the universe more urgent than ever. There are two philosophies regarding this question:…
We construct the spin-projection operators for a theory containing a symmetric two-index tensor and a general three-index tensor. We then use them to analyse, at linearized level, the most general action for a metric-affine theory of…
We analyze the ghost issue in the recently proposed models of non-linear massive gravity in the ADM formalism. We show that, in the entire two-parameter family of actions, the Hamiltonian constraint is maintained at the complete non-linear…
The linearized massive gravity in three dimensions, over any maximally symmetric background, is known to be presented in a self-dual form as a first order equation which encodes not only the massive Klein-Gordon type field equation but also…
In this paper, a semi-simple and Maxwell extension of the (anti) de Sitter algebra is constructed. Then, a gauge-invariant model has been presented by gauging the Maxwell semi-simple extension of the (anti) de Sitter algebra. We firstly…
In this Letter we present a general covariant modified theory of gravity in $D\!=\!4$ space-time dimensions which propagates only the massless graviton and bypasses the Lovelock's theorem. The theory we present is formulated in $D\!>\!4$…
For vacuum Maxwell theory in four dimensions, a supplementary condition exists (due to Eastwood and Singer) which is invariant under conformal rescalings of the metric, in agreement with the conformal symmetry of the Maxwell equations.…
First, we present a history of the school of thought that the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation acts as an ether in contemporary popular English. Then we illustrate the properties of this ether and of a hypothetical "test mass" using a…
We construct four-dimensional covariant non-linear theories of massive gravity which are ghost-free in the decoupling limit to all orders. These theories resum explicitly all the nonlinear terms of an effective field theory of massive…
This is the Part II paper of our series of papers on a gauge-invariant perturbation theory on the Schwarzschild background spacetime. After reviewing our general framework of the gauge-invariant perturbation theory and the proposal on the…